Lighting walks a fine line in this Tony Award-winning designer’s creative process. Although never drawing attention to itself, it must always be engaged in shaping the story that unfolds on stage. At its best, he believes, a lighting design should fit the core meaning of a production so naturally, that it seems virtually inevitable. Creating […]

Grammy-nominated August Burns Red kicked off its winter tour on January 5 in support of its seventh studio album Phantom Anthem. From Montreal, where the tour began, to the House of Blues in San Diego and everyplace in between, fans are packing venues to immerse themselves in the band’s raw and powerful brand of metal-tinged […]

David Beebe says he likes all kinds of music. Good thing, too. As house LD at The Birchmere outside Washington DC, he gets to light a dizzying assortment of musical acts from rock and blue grass, to jazz and show tunes. Supporting artists of all stripes has been a hallmark of this club since Gary […]

Working for dark metal clients like Marilyn Manson and Gojira, French-born designer Nico Riot has mastered the art of improvisation. Much of the appeal of his fiercely irreverent clients comes from their penchant for going unscripted, and diving into uncharted musical waters with reckless abandon. Riot’s lighting eagerly follows suit, reflecting his clients’ music with […]

Creative collaborations are more than mere give-and-take exchanges for this Los Angeles-based designer. Like archeologists brushing dust and debris off a rare find, he finds that back and forth discussions among collaborators remove distractions from a new project, allowing its true essence to emerge. Such revelations are essential to the Medvitz philosophy, which calls for […]

Like many in his profession, this Beverly Hills based lighting designer started out wanting to be a musician. Music, he says, still flows through his veins. This is very evident in the melodic quality of the work he’s done on tours for George Michael, Metallica, Yes, Jewel, Dream Theater and longtime client Matchbox Twenty. His […]

Theatre-goers who turned out to see Amos during the show’s recent run in Los Angles knew they were not going to experience an ordinary play. After all, how many productions describe themselves as EDM dramas? Set against the brooding backdrop of an underground EDM world in the Ukraine, the play delves deeply into a nefarious […]

Few rising country music stars have ever followed a trajectory quite like that of smoky voiced baritone Cody Johnson. The former bull rider was working as a prison guard in Texas when he began promoting his self-released albums on social media in 2006. Plugging away, and gradually increasing his fan base (his Twitter following reached […]

Musical Revues… are they concerts, or musicals? For TPi Award nominee Ollie Wilkinson of Arranpaul Ltd., the answer is “none of the above.” The British designer, who’s worked on an impressive list of popular revues at Blackpool’s historic Grand Theatre, treats them as their own creative challenge. Feeling the vibe of the music, the way […]

The Swedish electro four-piece band Little Dragon enjoyed a wild ride in 2017, as their heavy ethereal beats and synth-driven hooks have garnered them a following on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as slots at the Coachella and Bestival festivals. Reflective of the band’s stratospheric surge in popularity is the new power-packed lighting […]

Whether it’s the unveiling of Academy Award nominees or the introduction of a sports team’s newest star, in our media-driven age even the announcements preceding major events are becoming events in themselves. This trend has created a new opportunity for lighting designers, as event organizers look for ways to make their announcements stand out. Angel […]

Steve Lieberman’s club lighting designs will often vary in their scope and underlying concept, but regardless of their ultimate look, there is always a powerfully intense emotional force that runs through them. For this Los Angeles-based designer, lighting a club isn’t merely about creating sleek, stylish looks. At a more fundamental level, his aim is […]